Removable heeltap



Sept. 4, 1934-. F HASSEL 1,972,223

REMOVABLE HEELTAB Filed April 7, 1933 a. i v

I a I & Inventor Fm Hw/ [7y 5/5 Af/onzeys:

did 477% Patented Sept. 4, 1934 REMOVABLE HEELTAP Franz Hassel, Chemnitz, Germany, assignor of one-half to Muller & Franke A.-G., Limbach, near Chemnitz, Germany Application April 7, 1933, Serial No. 665,033

, In Germany April 11, 1932 5 Claims.

This invention relates to an exchangeable and interchangeable heel tap for shoe heels, which is applied perpendicularly to the surface of the heel and is secured by means of a locking bar guided 5 through holes in a holding plate and in the heel tap. More particularly the invention relates to an exchangeable and interchangeable heel tap for ladies shoe heels, in which, on account of the smallness of the dimensions, and consequently of the space available for constructional purposes, the problem of securing the heel 'tap'to the heel of the shoe is particularly difiicult to solve.

In order to solve this problem it has already been proposed to provide the central part of the heel tap with a projectingpin, which in its turn is introduced into a suitable recess in the surface of the heel. This construction presents the disadvantage that on the one hand the'bottom surface of the shoe heel has to be specially treated, thereby making it thinner and weaker, and on the other hand heel taps with specially high central portions have to be provided. An attempt was therefore made to design the heel tap hollow, and on the other hand to'make the outer edges of the holder projecting, so that the heel tap could be stripped over this outer edge of the holder. Owing to the deformations occurring,'however, and to the stresses arising therefrom, these heel taps are exposed to particularly dangerous tensile stresses, and their life is shortened, quite apart from the risks of an insecure fitting seat to which these dangerous stresses give rise. The attempt has therefore been made to provide a heel tap with a central extension for example, which, when the heel tap is being stripped over the holder, engages through a gap in this holder, and may even be up-set at the same time, and thus firmly pressed. This-however again makes the exchanging and interchanging of such heel taps holder is deformed, and, in consequence of the further deformations of the heel tap occasioned thereby, the life of the latter is still further shortened.

The object of the present invention is to remedy these defects, and to provide an exchangeable and interchangeable heel tap, more particularly for the heels of ladies shoes, which combines simple construction, reliable seating, and the largest possible contact surfaces without cavities thereby arising, with easy exchangeability and maximum durability both of the holder and of theheel tap.

Particular importance is attached to providing a solution in which the under surface of the shoe r heel remains unimpaired, which, in view of the more difiicult, if not quite impossible, as the diminutive size of the constructional area available for heel taps of ladies shoe heels, and of the high stresses arising in consequence of the smallness of this area, is of fundamental importance for such heels.

Now according to the present invention the holder is constructed as a stout frame secured upon the under surface of the shoe heel, with peripheral surfaces perpendicular or almost perpendicular to this surface, these peripheral surfaces, both internal and external, in conjunction with a suitable recess in the heel tap, forming the fitting seat. In order to diminish the stresses per unit area, and to distribute these stresses in the various directions, the frame is preferably provided with projections or the like of the same height as itself, which enlarge the area of edge contact between the holder frame and the associated recess. These projections may at the same time advantageously serve as auxiliary carriers for fastening the holder frame by means of screws or the like to the bottom surface of the heel.

In order'to prevent a tearing of the holes in the heel tap through which the fastening bar passes, and on the other hand to preserve a permanently satisfactory fitting seat between the heel tap and the holder frame, these holes are preferably partially surrounded by joggled portions of a metal plate, knownin itself, connected with the heel tap, this being done in such a way that these joggled portions engage inside the holder frame and are thus protected against deformation, being at the same time so arranged as to hinder a displacement of the frame in relation to the metal plate. 0n the straight side of the heel there may further be arranged a narrow longitudinal chamber, which is formed by the space between the holder plate and the corresponding recess in the heel tap, and in which, after the heel tap is mounted on the heel, the back of a U-shaped locking bar, known in itself, is arranged. In the case of such a concealed supporting, known in itself, of the head of the locking bar, behind a marginal bridgepiece of the heel tap, with protection against unintentional displacement of this head, the U-shaped locking bar may in particular he lodged immediately behind the inner margin of the heel tap, and almost flush with the loweredge of this margin, so that notwithstanding repeated fastening of the heel tap on to the heel, the locking bar can be released or introduced with a hook-shaped implement or th like by means of a single manual operation.

One example of the construction of an exchangeable and interchangeable heel tap accord- 110 ing to the invention for ladies shoe heels is illus- Figure 4 is a View of the under side of the heel, v

with the frame; 1

Figure 5 is a plan of the heel tap, with the associated recess; I i H Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation, on the lines VIVI in Figures l and 5, through the heel, with the heel tap mounted thereon;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional elevation, on the lines VII-VII in Figures 4 and 5, through the heel with the heel tap mounted thereon;

Figure 8 is a plan of the little metal plate used for reinforcing the heel tap, and

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional elevation thereof on the line IX-IX in Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a plan view showing this little metal plate, with joggled portions, in conjunction with the massive frame and with the U-shaped locking bar; and V Figure 11 is a sectional elevation thereof on the line XIQ I in Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a cross sectional elevation through the heel tap, with the little metal plate vulcanized into it; 1

In Figures 1 to 7, a is a holder constructed as a massive, metal frame, with its side edges vertical, 1) is an india rubber heel tap, c is a recess in the heel tap 12 corresponding in shape to the holder a, dis a: simple U-shaped locking bar serving for connecting the holder at with the heel tap b, the two limbs of this locking bar passing through holes 6 in the frame a and in the raised centre piece within the recess 0 in the heel tap b. The back of this U-shaped locking bar lies in a narrow longitudinal chamber is shown for example in Figure 6, which is formed beside the straight side of the heel, between a narrow bridgepiece f, forming part of the heel tap b, and that part of the peripheral surface of the frame a, which faces this bridgepiece. In the constructional example illustrated the back of the U-shaped bent member d is supported immediately behind the in-.- ner margin of the bridgepiece and is almost flush with the lower edge of this bridgepiece.

For the purpose of reinforcing the heel tap b and protecting the holes 6 provided therein against being torn out, there, serves a little metal plate 9, with joggled portions h, shown in Figures 8 and 9. The upper edge of these joggled portions, in the constructional example illustrated, is so dimensioned as to be flush with the upper edge of the frame a. The joggled portions h are furthermore so arranged inside the frame aperture that the solid side walls of these joggled portions, after the mounting of the heel tap a, come to bear against the ends of this frame, aperture, so that the reinforcing plate g, together with the frame a, forms a compound structure, as shown in Figures 10 and 11. The joggled portions h, which may if preferred be of ashape different from that illustrated, ensure, after the vulcanizing of the little metal plate 9 into the heel tap h, a reliable fitting seat between the heel tap b and the frame a, the heel tap b being at the same time strengthened in a known manner by the metal plate g, as shown in Fi ure 12. I

The method of operation of the invention is as follows:-

The heel tap b is applied to the frame a, and the U-shaped locking bar 01 is thereupon passed through the holes e in the two members a and b 89 that are to be connected to one another. The back of this U-shaped locking bar is under these circumstances supported by a, suitable auxiliary device i, shown in Figure 6, behind the marginal bridgepiece ,f. The exchanging and interchanging of the heel tap b is effected by loosening the back of the U-shaped member d by means of the auxiliary device 2. The two limbs of the locking barjare introduced or released simultaneously, thereby ensuring a quick and reliable mounting 90 and dismounting, and also a satisfactory seating of the heel tap when mounted.

What I claim is:--

1. An exchangeable and interchangeable heel tap adapted to be applied perpendicularly to the under surface of a boot or shoe heel, comprising a stout holding frame secured to the heel, of substantially'less area than the heel and with substantially vertical peripheral surfaces, formed with an aperture having substantially vertical peripheral surfaces and occupying a substantial fraction of its area, the heel tap being formed with a recess having vertical sides shaped to receive the holding frame and to fit closely thereto Y, throughout its periphery, the depth of the recess being equal to the thickness of the holding frame,

a projection with substantially vertical peripheral surfaces on the heel tap within the recess, shaped to fit closely into the aperture in the holding frame, the height ofthe projection being equal to the thickness of the holding frame, and a locking bar passing horizontally through the holding frame and the heel tap to hold them together, the holding frame and the heel tap being formed 7 p with holes for the locking bar. 11

2. An exchangeable and interchangeable heel tap adapted to be applied perpendicularly to the under surface of a boot or shoe heel, comprising a holding frame secured substantially centrally to the heel, the-holding frame consisting of a stout plane plate of uniform thickness and of somewhat irregular outline, formed with an aperture occupying a substantial fraction of its area, the heel tap being formed with a recess shaped to receive the holding frame, the depth of the-recess being equal to the thickness of the holding frame, an upward projection on the heel tap within the recess, shaped to fit closely into the aperture in the holding frame, the height of the projection being equal to the thickness of the 130 holding frame, and the fitting of the holding frame into the recess in the heel tap and the fitting of the projection on the heel tap into the aperture in the holding frame being so close throughout the peripheries thereof as to prevent lateral movement of the heel tap in any direction in relation to the heel, and a locking bar passing horizontally through the holding frame and the heel tap to prevent relative vertical displacement, the holding frame and the heel tap being formed with holes for the locking bar.

3. An exchangeable and interchangeable heel tap adapted to be applied perpendicularly to the under surface of a boot or shoe heel, comprising a stout holding frame with substantially vertical peripheral surfaces, formed with a substantially rectangular aperture and secured to the heel, the heel tap being formed with a recess shaped to receive the holding frame, a projection on the heel tap within the recess, shaped to fit into the'aperture in the holding frame, a metal plate embedded in the heel tap, joggled elements on the metal plate, these joggled elements forming vertical walls bounding the projection on the heel tap on opposite sides and fitting into the aperture in the holding frame, and the upper edges of the joggled elements being turned inwards so as to form flanges embedded flush in the surface of the projection, and a locking bar passing through the holding frame and the heel tap just within the joggled portions to hold the frame and the heel tap together.

4. An exchangeable and interchangeable heel tap adapted to be applied perpendicularly to the under surface of a boot or shoe heel, comprising a stout holding frame with substantially vertical peripheral surfaces, formed with an aperture and secured to the heel, the heel tap being formed with a recess shaped to receive the holding frame, which fills almost the whole of the recess but leaves a narrow gap between the straight side of the heel tap and the front edge of the holding frame, a projection .on the heel tap within the recess, shaped to fit into the aperture in the holding frame, and a U-shaped locking bar the limbs of which pass horizontally rearwards from the narrow gap at the front of the heel through the holding frame and through the projection on the heel tap, the transverse part of the U-shaped locking bar lodging in the said narrow gap when the heel tap is locked to the heel.

5. An exchangeable and interchangeable heel tap adapted to be applied perpendicularly to the under surface of a boot or shoe heel, comprising a stout holding frame with substantially vertical peripheral surfaces, formed with an aperture and secured to the heel, the heel tap being formed with a recess shaped to receive the holding frame, which fills almost the whole of the recess but leaves a narrow gap between the straight side of the heel tap and the front edge of the holding frame, a projection on the heel tap within the recess, shaped to fit into the aperture in the holding frame, a metal plate secured in the heel tap, joggled elements on the metal plate, these joggled elements forming walls bounding the projection on the heel tap and fitting into the aperture in the holding frame, a U-shaped locking bar the limbs of which pass horizontally rearwards from the narrow gap at the front of the heel through the holding frame and through the projection on the heel tap just within the joggled portions to hold the frame and the heel tap together, the transverse part of the U-shaped locking bar lodging in the said narrow gap when the heel tap is locked to the heel, and a marginal bridgepiece on the heel tap forming the front closure of the recess therein and normally concealing the transverse part of the locking bar.

' FRANZ HASSEL'. 

